Lock mechanism



' E. N. JACOB] LOCK MECHANISM June 19, 1956 'Original Filed June 20,1949 'SMW Edwz d N 1.5555171 United States Patent C) LOCK MECHANISMEdward N. Jacobi, Milwaukee, Wis., assigned" to Briggs & StrattonCorporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication June 20, 1949, Serial No. 100,258, now Patent No. 2,650,492,dated September 1, 1 953. Divided and this application January 12, 1953,Serial No.330,712

Claims. (Cl. 70-379) This invention relates to locks and refers moreparticularly to locks of the type commonly known as pillar locks whichare especially adapted for .use with automobile door handles and thelike. This application is a division of my copending application, SerialNo. 100,258, .filed June 20, 1949, now Patent No. 2,650,492, issuedSeptember 1., 1953.

In locks of this type the lock assembly is located in the door handleand comprises a rotary cylinder mounted in a sleeve-like casing andhaving an operating shaft projecting from its rear to transmit rotationof the cylinder to latch mechanism on the door to be actuated. The doorhandle has an elongated tubular stem on itsinner end to receive theoperating shaft and the bore of the stem opens to the front of thehandle through a counterbore in which the lock cylinder and easing arereceived.

In pillar locks of the type to which this invention pertains it iscustomary to provide a detachable driving connection between the lockcylinder and the operating shaft which prevents endwise separation ofthe shaft from the cylinder except upon tilting of the shaft to apredetermined position at an angle with respect to the axis of thecylinder. Such a detachable connection is shown in Patent No. 2,004,435issued June 11, 1935, to Edward N. Jacobi. In this patent, however, thedriving connection between the operating shaft and the lock cylindermust be established before insertion of the lock cylinder into itscasing, the casing holding the operating shaft against detachment whenin position encircling the cylinder.

The present invention likewise provides a readily detachable drivingconnection, of the type described, be: tween the operating shaft and theinner end of the lock cylinder, and it is a further object of theinvention to so arrange the lock parts about the shaft joint that theshaft may be attached to or detached from the cylinder while the same isin its casing, upon rotation of the cylinder to a predetermined positionrelative to the casing.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a lockmechanism of the character described embodying a novel connectionbetween the operating shaft and the inner end of the lock cylinder bywhich the shaft cooperates with the lock casing in a manner to normallyhold the cylinder against disassembly therefrom, thereby making itpossible to subassemble these parts without danger of them accidentallybecoming detached during handling and shipping.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the noval construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, itbeing understood that suchchanges in the precise embodiment of theherein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims. v

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with thebest mode so far treme rear of the pilot.

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devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalsection and showing the lock mechanism of this invention in place in adoor handle and in its locked position;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken through Figure 1 along theplane of the line 2-2, with the lock mechanism removed from the doorhandle;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the lock cylinderrotated to the position at which detachment of the operating shaft ispossible, and with the shaft removed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view partly in longitudinal section andpartly in side elevation taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3 andillustrating the manner in which attachment and detachament of theoperating shaft is effected; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lock casing per se, looking at therear thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing in whichlike numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 5 represents the sleeve-like casing for the lock mechanism, andthe numeral 6 designates the lock cylinder which is rotatably receivedwithin the front portion 7 of thecasing. The front portion 7 of thecasing has a relatively thin wall, and has a rearward extension 8 ofslightly less diameter joined thereto and projecting rearwardly beyondthe inner end of the lock cylinder.

At its forward end the lock cylinder has an enlarged head 9 ofapproximately the same diameter as the exterior of the front portion 7of the casing, and a series of arcuate shoulders 10 extending about thecircumference of the cylinder immediately behind the enlarged head 9thereof are adapted to be engaged by the front edge 11 of the casing todefine the forward position of the casing on the cylinder.

A locking member of the side bar type, not shown, normally projects intoa longitudinal slot 12 in the side of the front portion 7 of the casing5 to lock the cylinder against rotation relative to the casing, and thislocking member is retractable in a conventional manner by the insertionof a suitable key 13 into the lock cylinder from the front thereof tofree the cylinder for rotation inside the casing.

The inner end of the cylinder has a reduced portion 1 thereon and apilot 16 at its extremity smaller in diameter than the reduced portion15. These parts have an axial hole 17 therein into which the forward endof the operating shaft 18 is received to be drivingly connected with thecylinder in a manner similar to that illustrated and described in theafore-mentioned Patent No. 2,004,435.

The driving connection between the forward end of the operating shaftand the lock cylinder comprises a hook-line portion 20 on the shaftwhich is engaged behind a shoulder 21 projecting inwardly into the hole17 from the side wall of the extension 15 and pilot 16. The drivingconnection here illustrated, however, differs from that of theafore-mentioned patent in that the shaft has a splined connection withthe lock cylinder established by the engagement of a longitudinallyprojecting fin 22 on the forward extremity of the shaft in alongitudinal slot 23 in the wall of the pilot and opening to the ex- Theslot 23 is substantially diametrically opposite the shoulder 21 behindwhich the hook-like forward extremity 20 of the operating shaft engages.The driving connection between the shaft and the lock cylinder, ofcourse, may be readily established or disconnected upon tilting theshaft to a predetermined 3 angular position with respect to the axis ofthe cylinder, as shown in Figure 4.

As will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 1, it will be seenthat the connection between the operating shaft and the lock cylinderaffords a degree of relative endwise motion between these parts withoutimpairing the effectiveness of the driving connection between them. Somedegree of end play in the cylinder-to-shaft connection is desirable,however, as it assures ease of assembly and detachment of the operatingshaft.

The portion 25 of the operating shaft which lies immediately to the rearof the lock cylinder and is encircled by the sleeve extension 8 isreduced in diameter to provide a shoulder 26 facing the rear end of thesleeve extension to prevent rearward sliding of the lock casing off ofthe cylinder. For this purpose, when the parts are held substantially incoaxial relationship as shown, the shoulder 26 on the operating shaft isadapted to be engaged by diametrically opposite abutments 2'7 and 28 atthe rear of the sleeve extension 8. These abutments extend radiallyinwardly from the wall of the sleeve extension and while the abutment 27is solid, as seen in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the abutment 28 has the centralportion thereof removed.

The arrangement of the abutments 27 and 28 is such that they willpresent surfaces at the inner end of the sleeve extension which willengage with the shoulder 26 on the operating shaft even though the shaftmay be tilted at a slight angle to the axis of the lock cylinder priorto assembly of the lock mechanism in the door handle 30. Hence, theshaft maintains the cylinder and the casing sub-assembled with the shaftdrivingly connected to the cylinder, the casing being substantiallyconfined endwise between the shoulders 10 at the front of the cylinderand the shoulder 26 on the operating shaft. This manner ofsub-assembling the shaft, the cylinder and its casing has the advantageof facilitating handling of the lock mechanism prior to its installationin the door handle. While the shoulders 10 and 26 may be spaced apart adistance substantially corresponding to the length of the casing, theyhave been shown spaced apart a slightly greater distance to permitlimited longitudinal sliding motion of the casing relative to thecylinder for a purpose brought out and claimed in the afore-mentionedcopending application of Edward N. Jacobi, Serial No. 100,258, filedJune 20, l949, now Patent No. 2,650,492, issued September 1, l953.

With this manner of holding the casing on the lock cylinder, it isnecessary that the shaft be connected with the cylinder after insertionof the cylinder into the casing 5. This can be effected in only oneposition of rotation of the cylinder relative to the casing, whichposition is shown in Figures 3 and 4. As here illustrated the lockcylinder is in a position of rotation approximately halfway between itslocked and unlocked positions and at an intermediate station at whichthe operating shaft may be tilted upwardly between the oppositeabutments 27 and 28 on the sleeve extension and into a notch 31 cut intothe rear extremity of the extension. This notch enables the shaft to betilted far enough to disengage its hooked end Ztl from behind theshoulder 21 on the inner end of the lock cylinder for removal from thecylinder.

It will be apparent, therefore, that insertion of the operating shaftthrough the open rear of the casing and into the axial hole 17 in theinner end of the cylinder with the parts in their positions shown inFigure 4 automatically locks the parts in' their assembled relationship.

The manner of mounting the lock mechanism in the accommodates the frontof the lock mechanism, and has a slightly reduced diameter near the stem34 to rotatably and slidably receive the reduced casing extension 8.

The entire lock mechanism is readily secured in the handle by means of atangent pin 35 in the stem 34 received in an annular groove 36 in theoperating shaft, as seen best in Figure 1. The pin 35, in holding theshaft against longitudinal displacement, thus also maintains thecylinder against forward displacement from the bore in the handlethrough the driving connection between the shaft and cylinder. Also, asdescribed previously, the casing is held against longitudinaldisplacement by being substantially confined endwise between theshoulders 10 at the front of the lock cylinder and the shoulder 26 onthe operating shaft adjacent to the rear of the casing.

However, the entire lock mechanism is yieldingly urged forwardly to takeup any clearance in the pin connection to the operating shaft and theslack in the driving connection between the shaft and lock cylinder, bymeans of a compression spring 38 seated in the bottom of the reducedportion of the counterbore and bearing against the rear end of thecasing extension 8. This spring forces the casing forwardly, and throughengagement between the casing and the lock cylinder, also serves to pushthe cylinder forwardly. This draws the operating shaft forwardly alongwith the cylinder so as to engage the rearmost side wall of the annulargroove 36 with the tangent pin 35, thus holding all of the parts of thelock mechanism against rattling.

The casing may be non-rotatably held in the lock handle by any suitablesplined connection therebetween, but in the present instance theconnection is effected between the lugs 27 and 28 at the rear of thecasing extension and the front end of a hub 42 on the lock handle. Thehub 42 projects axially forwardly from the bottom of the reduced portionof the counterbore in the handle 30 to be encircled by the compressionspring 38, and the front extremity of the hub is notched atdiametrically opposite portions thereof, not shown, to provide lugs 43which project forwardly into the rear of the casing extension 8 betweenthe abutments 27 and 28 thereon. Hence the lugs cooperate with theabutments to hold the casing against rotation in the handle 30.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art thatthis invention pro vides an improved lock mechanism for door handlesfeaturing a novel manner of holding the parts of the mechanism assembledprior to installation in the handle; and at the same time materiallysimplifying the installation of the lock mechanism in its mountingmember or handle, the whole mechanism being retained in the handle by asingle pin passing through the handle stem and into a groove in theoperating shaft.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a lock of the character described: a sleeve-like casing; a lockcylinder rotatable in the casing and accessible for key actuation at thefront thereof, said cylinder door handle and of retaining the mechanismtherein is having an axial hole in the rear thereof; a shaft having oneend projecting in said axial hole in the cylinder and operativelycoupled thereto; cooperating shoulders on the cylinder and said end ofthe shaft engageable inside the hole in cylinder to preclude endwiseseparation of the cylinder and shaft except upon tilting of the shaft toa predetermined angular position with respect to the cylinder axis; apart on the rear of the casing engageable with the shaft to hold thesame against movement to said predetermined tilted position except uponrotation of .the shaft to a predetermined position with respect to thecasing; and cooperating stops on the shaft and the rear of the casingfor holding the cylinder against sliding forwardly out of the casing.

2. In a lock of the character described: a substantially tubular casing;a lock cylinder rotatable in the casing and accessible for key actuationat the front end of the casing said cylinder having an axial hole in therear thereof; an operating shaft having one end projecting into saidaxial hole in the cylinder and operatively coupled therewith;cooperating parts on the cylinder and the shaft interengaging with oneanother inside said hole to hold the cylinder and shaft against axialseparation but permitting detachment of the shaft upon tilting thereofto a predeterminated angular position with respect to the cylinder axis;and a rearward extension on the casing encircling the shaft rearwardlyof the cylinder to normally hold the shaft against tilting to saidpredetermined angular position, said extension having a notch in itsside wall opening to the rear extremity of the extension to permittilting of the shaft to said predetermined angular position in oneposition of rotation of the cylinder with respect to the casing.

3. The lock set forth in claim 2 further characterized by the fact thatthe shaft and the casing extension have shoulders thereon engageablewith one another to preclude forward displacement of the lock cylinderfrom the casing.

4. In a lock of the character described: a sleeve-like casing; a lockcylinder rotatable in the casing and accessible for key actuation at thefront thereof, said cylinder having an axial hole opening to its rear;an operating shaft having one end projecting into said hole in thecylinder and operatively coupled therewith; cooperating shoulders on thecylinder and the shaft engageable inside said hole for precludingendwise separation of the shaft from the cylinder, except upon tiltingof the shaft to a predetermined angular position with respect to the cylinder axis; means on the rear of the casing normally engageable by theshaft for blocking movement thereof to said predetermined tiltedposition except upon movement of the cylinder relative to the casing toa predetermined position at which the shaft clears said blocking meanson the rear of the casing; and an abutment on the shaft en gageable withthe casing to hold the cylinder against sliding forwardly out of thecasing.

5. The lock set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the provisionof cooperating stops on the casing and cylinder for precluding rearwardmotion of the cylinder with respect to the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,333,189 Shaw Mar. 9, 1920 1,888,954 Keil Nov. 22, 1932 2,000,279FitzGerald May 7, 1935 2,004,435 Jacobi June 11, 1935 2,650,492 JacobiSept. 1, 1953

